Zymogen of the Protease that Degrades Small, Acid-Soluble Proteins of Spores ofBacillus Species Can Rapidly Autoprocess to the Active Enzyme in Vitro

摘要

The zymogen of the protease (GPR) that initiates protein degradation during sporegermination in Bacillus species is not activated in vitro under normal physiological conditions. However, there is rapid, acid-pH-dependent, zero-order, proteolytic activation of the purified zymogen in high concentrations of dimethyl sulfoxide. These findings provide further evidence that GPR activates itself during sporulation.